Glances
by O-Hoshi
Summary: He shouldn't have fallen for her in the first place. As luck would have it, he still did.
1. I

She was a child. Years younger than him. And yet he still developed feelings for her. It was wrong. It felt wrong. He didn't want it. It destroyed him to want her. He didn't even know where it began. He just knew. There were moments his heart would flutter when her pale pink gaze would scrutinize him intensely. As though she was trying to read who he was and what his thoughts were. And when his cheeks would flush embarrassingly when she'd affectionately rub his head as though he was her lost sibling or something.

It irked him that he couldn't have her either and he guessed it was better that way because it was never expected of him to crush on someone. Much less someone younger than him and a demon. How could he control his feelings when the girl was damn endearing? She held a soft spot in his heart. She was inquisitive and tough. Affectionate and warm. Pretty warm for a creature of the dark like her.

Of course, he was not altogether ignoring the girl's fine features. She would gro— she would have grown up to be a beautiful woman had she not turned into a demon. As luck would have it, she was able to grow. One of the things he noticed in her was that the girl did not shrink. She de-aged. And when she could de-aged, that could mean she could also progress her age up. Her eldest brother Tanjiro was after all becoming a man and clearly the girl didn't want to be forever stuck as a 14 year old.

Giyuu was mad at himself for having romantic feelings for the girl and it enraged him that he'd never make her laugh or be there for her.

He wasn't that kind of person.

He didn't like being someone's beck and call.

He was fascinated with her and, once again, he hated it. With every fibre of his being. People would've been more likely to bet that he'd go for a woman like Shinobu, a woman of his caliber. But no. No, somehow he developed feelings for a girl seven years his junior who could possibly take down fifty men and suck them dry.

It wasn't too late to commit seppuku now, was it?

And there was that golden-haired boy who hovered over Nezuko like a bumblebee. He spent his time in her presence cooing over her. Not that he found it sickening but it annoyed the hell out of him. And he's not much of a threat really. The boy basically liked every pretty faces he saw. And the girl's pretty face was frequent so he was constantly fluttering around her.

The girl was quite possibly the most careless sleeper he'd ever met. Oftentimes he had found her sleeping inside a pot, a cabinet, on top of the table, on the roof, and, on the floor. Comfortably so. He didn't want to watch her sleep. It's a creepy and awful thing to do but those were the only moments he'd let himself bask in her presence and submit to his feelings.

He'd loathe himself afterwards and leave her in peace.

Shinobu came to him one day. Her eyes unusually cold and a bright smile plastered upon her serene face. She told him she knew and that she was not afraid to call him out of it. Perhaps, the woman was strangely protective of the girl? He told her he didn't know what she was talking about. And before she could even reply, he left.

Was he transparent? He had never been transparent. But again, Shinobu had a knack of seeing through him. He should stay away from Nezuko, shouldn't he? It's not good for him. Besides, she was still a kid. Even after all these years, she's still the kid demon who he almost killed if it weren't for Tanjiro Kamado's pathetic begging.

And then there were the little things. Subtle, miniscule, barely perceptible things where she'd smile at him when they made eye contact. A small quirk of her lips and the brightening of her eyes. It's not the smile she gave the others. The smiles she gave him were furtive and almost secretive to the point that he'd only see the tips of her white fangs. It made him feel like he was floating and light. Oh hell, he was screwed. He was a fool.

"Can demons manipulate . . . feelings?" He asked Shinobu once as he removed the blood from his sword with a swipe.

The butterfly Hashira blinked at him. "It's unheard of but it could be a possibility. Why do you ask?" Her lavender gaze prodded him. "Is there something wrong?"

"Not at all." He casually replied. "Let's go."

She hummed, narrowing her eyes at him with a smile on her face. "Love works in mysterious ways, Tomioka-san."

He whirled to her and snapped, "What the hell do you mean by that?"

She perked up, surprised at his sudden loss of temper. "I see." She said. "Am I wrong? Is this not about love?"

"No, it's not about love." He scoffed, calmly shaking his head. "This is ridiculous." He muttered under his breath. "Where did you even get that idea?"

She giggled before launching into the air, not even once glancing at him. He blinked at her, his insides were in a quandary. He didn't like what she knew one bit. And he was going to correct it.

What he liked about his missions was that he was away from her and he could stop thinking about her. He was sorely mistaken in the latter. This obsession of him was unhealthy and he was determined to get rid of it. He avoided her every chance he got which was not much of a work since they barely even interacted and nobody would even noticed it. But still, it was an improvement.

"The crows said they're having trouble in the south." Shinobu said, sneaking behind him. "It's been 3 three days since their departure."

"You worry for them too much, Shinobu-san. They're hardly fragile." He pierced her with a penetrating stare. "You seem to be too fond of the Kamado boy."

She shrugged. "Nezuko's been asking after him since she woke up yesterday. She seemed to have regained her strength from her previous battle but I don't want to push her too much."

"Have you broken the news to her then?"

"She's a stubborn girl. She'd follow him down south if she heard of it. I'd rather her think he's only ran an errand."

He looked up at the stars. "A shame. If Tanjiro never came back, what would become of the girl?"

"Let's not hope that, Tomioka-san." Shinobu said quietly. "She's been insisting that I let her go out. Over my dead body, of course." She chirped. "I promised the boy I'd take care of his sister while he's out. And now Nezuko's locked herself up in her room. You know, I think I've heard glasses breaking inside it."

"She threw a tantrum?" Giyuu didn't know if he should be amused or not.

"She's upset. I throw things too when I'm upset." She said defensively.

"Right." He muttered.

"Does Nezuko remind you of your late sister?"

He was floored at the sudden question.

He sputtered, "What?"

"Well," she said in a soft sigh. "Whenever you look at her, you'd give her this soft look. I've seen it, Tomioka-san. Don't you dare deny it."

"In a way." He grumbled briefly. "And you? You seem to have a soft spot on her brother, Tanjiro."

"He's a charming, boy." She said, smiling stiffly. "Nothing more."

Giyuu's lips quirked, almost like a smirk. He got up and brushed the dust off his clothes. He bowed to her. "Good night, Shinobu."

She nodded in return. "Good night."


	2. II

He must have left her an awful first impression. He did try to kill her upon their first meeting, holding her still by her kimono's collar while she growled and tried to get away from him. Giyu didn't regret that. He was only doing his duty as a demon slayer and a sworn Hashira. And yet.

As his feet landed soundlessly on the ground with his haori bellowing behind him, he felt quick vibrations in the air. Narrowing his eyes into slits, he looked around and gripped his sword in his side.

There was no way a demon could infiltrate their headquarters but it was best to be vigilant. Anything could happen. He looked up back at his shoulders to see if Shinobu was still sitting on the roof but it appeared she departed before him. His stony facade hardened as he saw a dark figure hopped from the fence to the trees.

His eyes widened as he realized who it was. "Nezuko?"

He sprinted to chase after her. The girl turned to look behind her and saw him gaining distance. Nezuko growled at him. He was surprised to see she was wearing the muzzle he had given years ago. She hadn't worn it for days.

"Stop right there, Kamado-san!" He said. "Or I will have no choice but to restrain and take you back."

Her lithe figure twisted to scowl at him as if to challenge him. Her stance was shouting at him, 'Try me'. She was restless and her fingers kept twitching.

His eyes widened as though seeing her for the first time. "Where do you think you're going?" He inquired in an icy tone. "Hunting?"

She shook her head furiously, her dark tresses swaying over her face as she denied his accusation. The girl looked fairly hurt. She was in her demon form and looked aggressive although Giyu could clearly her aggravation was not directed at him but at something beyond her control. He knew she wanted to look for Tanjiro. "Breathe in." He said stoically. "Miss Kamado, be rational about this. I'm telling you right now that your brother Tanjiro is in the right hands." He half-lied. "It is futile to go after him."

Nezuko clenched her fists, washing away her worry, and looked anywhere but him.

"I'm impressed. You managed to escape Shinobu-san's mansion."

The girl returned gazing at him and nodded her head a bit, confirming his statement. Giyu took several steps towards her before they finally stood face to face. He stopped his breath from hitching. He stood a head taller than her, towering her slender form. She had to crane her head to look at him better and he was caught off guard by how she looked up at him innocently, how the shadows of her long lashes brushed her pale cheeks and made her look like the sakura's nymph.

She was still silent aside from the start small breaths she was making through her nostrils. Giyu cleared his throat and motioned back to the path. "Shall we?"

Nezuko looked longingly at the path headed South. Her pink gaze looking in between the path and him. She frowned at him before turning on her heel and lead the way back. Giyu's brows raised.

"Ah, it appears you've found Nezuko-chan." Said Shinobu brightly.

"We are simply taking a stroll, Shinobu-san." Giyu replied flatly. "Would you like to join us?"

"In the middle of the night?" Shinobu asked in amusement. "I thought after saying good bye you had gone to bed."

"Kamado-san was taking a walk alone when I found her."

The woman hummed though not appearing convinced. Giyu swerved his eyes to look at Nezuko who blinked drowsily. He caught her body before she fell asleep on the cold forest floor. Shinobu giggled and jerked her head to the mansion. "How lovely. Come."

He left immediately as soon as he laid down the girl on the bed. He couldn't erase from his mind the changes the girl had taken over the years they've been acquainted with each other. For one, he realized she was no longer a child — she was seventeen — and second, she was every bit the lady she should be referred as. Guiltily, he subconsciously called her 'the girl' or Tanjiro's kid sister despite having romantic feelings for her.

Damn, he's disgusted with himself.

Giyu also became conscious of the fact that Nezuko was still afraid of biting someone if she lost control. Hence, the bamboo muzzle. He didn't doubt her self-control, for the gods' sake, she walked amongst them in broad day light, but she wore the muzzle for protection against herself. Otherwise, they would be sentenced. He trusted the siblings. He had witnessed their bond for years and the boy who he was mentoring was a kindred soul. The same went to Nezuko.

"Several Kinotos are being sent South." Said Himejima-san. "I believe the situation there is getting serious. It'd be not long before we are told to aid the corps."

"A kizuki?" Asked Mitsuri curiously.

"No, just too many demon dwellers. There's a swarm of them, I've been told." Replied the stocky Hashira.

"If the Kinotos have been deployed, what of the lower ranking ones?"

There was silence for a second. "We haven't heard of our students for five days now." Shinobu interjected, buttering her bread calmly. "But the crows assure us that our Hinoes are doing well. Let us not ruin the morning and our appetites. Settle down and eat."

Sanemi-grumbled, "This issue has been overlooked far enough. I say we should supervise the eligibility of the kids before letting them enter the Final Selection. Who did they train under? What are their achievements? What are they capable of?" He hissed. "Even half of the Mizunotos can't do a damn thing against common demons."

"What a plan! How flamboyant it would—"

"Not now, Sanemi-san." Shinobu smiled cheerfully. Sanemi huffed before deflating. Not even he wanted to get on Shinobu's bad side.

"Good morning." Bowed Giyu as he entered the breakfast hall. The Water Hashira looked exhausted and there was an unhealthy pallor in his face. The eight of them stared at the enigmatic man before resuming their conversation.

"Giyu-san." Beside him, Mitsuri asked concernedly. "Are you alright? Would you like a cup of tea?"

"No, it's alright, Mitsuri-san. Thank you for the offer."

She nodded and smiled at him earnestly. He looked up to see Shinobu raising her brow at him questioningly. "What?"

"I have a mission today." She said.

"What does that have to do with me?" He asked impatiently.

"Well, I was hoping you accompany Nezuko-chan while I'm gone." She took a bite off her buttered bread. "While I'm sure the others could handle her just fine, I'll be more comforted that she's in familiar hands."

"Are you implying you liked me better than the rest?" He asked archly.

"As a sitter." She amended. "Just walk with her. Tell her stories."

"You treat her as if she were a child." Giyu said accusingly.

"I treat her like I would a younger sister." She retorted. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare."

"You are quite the Machiavellian." Giyu gritted out, shaking his head. She knows what I feel about the girl and she's making it difficult for me. Shinobu simply beamed at him and exited the room.

All he wanted to do the afternoon was spend it quietly in the library and meditate. Now he was tasked to watch over his mentee's sister who, more or less, tend to act like no one's in the same room as she and do all sorts of absurdity — everyone found it adorable — such as laying on the floor with her legs raised and humming, sliding on the floor as though she was impersonating a mop, and just sitting on the floor doing nothing. Was this how she coped with boredom? Oh, Giyu's certainly fixing that. He was not a man of recreation but at least he knew how to spend his time.

"Kamado-san." He greeted the girl as he stepped inside the threshold. Nezuko bowed and blinked at him expectantly. "Did Shinobu-san tell you that I'll be watching over you?"

Nezuko nodded. She was wearing a lavender colored kimono and he suspected Shinobu must have lent or given it to her. Her hair, as always, was loose and curled down her thigh. Giyu coughed as he realized she caught him staring. "Shall we head down the library?"

She didn't answer and quietly followed him in the library. He wondered if Tanjiro would ever be successful in achieving his quest in turning Nezuko back into a human. The boy had been promoted into a Hinoe after 3 years under Giyu's tutelage and his task of slaying and taking blood from demons closes to Kibutsuji was proving difficult. It would be years before it would be achieved. Perhaps, never.

Giyu gingerly took a seat when he finally picked several books to his liking. He looked up to see Nezuko staring down at him in confusion. He uncomfortably patted the space beside him. She shuffled and made herself comfortable.

"Now that we've accommodated ourselves," he said dryly. "Would you like to read?" A question which milliseconds later he found incredibly stupid. She looked at him in disbelief and amusement. As though her muzzle wasn't enough indication that she couldn't read. She examined the pile of books he had taken and held one.

"Who taught you to read?" Giyu asked, skimming a few pages of The Tale of Genji. "Tanjiro?"

She shook her head. "Self-taught? Your mother?" Two consecutive head shakes followed. "Your father?" She nodded.

Giyu tapped his fingers on the table. Here he was, sitting with the girl he liked and he couldn't even have a proper conversation with her. "Do you know how to write?"

She hummed and showed him two of her fingers; the thumb and forefinger, with a tiny space left between them. He bit the insides of his cheeks from smiling widely.

Grabbing the paper, brush, and the bowl of ink , she smiled brightly and wrote down rather clumsily, "Tomioka-sensei?" Her script was not as misshapen as he thought it was.

His brows arched, "Sensei?"

She scribbled down, "I am going to assume you'll be teaching me for the meantime."

"I'm not sure." He drawled. "Your kanji seems fine to me."

She looked thoughtful for a moment and then wrote, "Teach me Kanji and I'll teach you how to smile? I see a fair bargain." Nezuko looked at him cheekily. Giyu forced his facial muscles to stay firm.

"That is not funny." His lips twitched. Dear gods, she just teased him. "But I'll tutor you for a while. If I'm not preoccupied that is."

Nezuko nodded eagerly.

* * *

**NOTE: I'm posting my GiyuNezu fics on ao3. You can find my fics under DreamOfStarsAndRoses. hehe cheerio!**


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